California Association of Teachers of English

CATE (California Association of Teachers of English) is a non-profit organization promoting communication, collaboration, and educational knowledge among all responsible for teaching English and the language arts. All California English teachers are encouraged to join.

Resolutions 2016

CATE 2016: Board Resolution–Commendation of the Convention Committee

Inspiring Literate Lives is not only the theme for this year’s convention, but a rallying cry for what
teachers of English do every day–they inspire literate lives. May CATE continue to inspire literate lives through the shared ideas and camaraderie experienced at a CATE convention.

The annual CATE convention happens only because of the efforts of many teachers and other volunteers who donate their time and energy to make this weekend possible.

Let it be resolved that the California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) thank and commend the following outstanding volunteers and members of the convention committee:

Clarification of Terminology in English Language Development Curricula

BACKGROUND:

The California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts include not only literacy standards for core subjects, but also English Language Development standards. The California Department of Education (CDE) created a framework to define all areas of implementation of the ELA/ELD standards. Practitioners in the field have concerns about the disparity between the framework and the tools that have been provided to implement the ELD standards, especially in regard to Program 4 Intensive Intervention ELA and Program 5 Specialized ELD. The following resolution details the specifics of this disconnect.

Whereas Senate Bill 201 (Chapter 478 of the Statutes of 2013), on October 2, 2013, authorized the State Board of Education to conduct an adoption of kindergarten through grade eight instructional materials in ELA/ELD aligned to the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects and the new California English Language Development Standards, and

Whereas the Program 4 Standards Map indicates that a Program 4 curriculum shall be evaluated for containing foundational reading skills, but does not contain the standards in the ELD framework, while the Program 5 Standards Map indicates that a Program 5 curriculum shall be evaluated according to the ELD framework, but does not contain the foundational reading skills, and

Whereas Chapter 2 of the ELA/ELD Framework states that “meaning making should be the central purpose for interacting with text, producing text, participating in discussions, giving presentations, and engaging in research,” and that “meaning making includes literal comprehension but is not confined to it at any grade or with any student,” and

Whereas the Resource Guide to the Foundational Skills of the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects states that acquisition of the foundational skills is a necessary condition to achieve the overarching goals of California’s ELA/Literacy and ELD instruction, and

Whereas the students with the lowest levels of proficiency, such as newcomer ELs, need a viable curriculum that meets their needs and helps them master the foundational skills, and

Whereas the majority of the curricula currently on the adoption list for Program 4 approved by the California State Board of Education do not contain foundational reading skills as needed by Emerging English Learners as part of their English Language Arts Instruction, and

Whereas the curricula currently on the adoption list for Program 5 approved by the California State Board of Education does not meet the requirement of foundational reading skills, as outlined in the description of Program 5 materials listed in Chapter 12 of the ELA/ELD Framework,

RESOLUTION:

Let it be resolved that the California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) urge the California Department of Education (CDE) to make Program 4 Intensive Intervention ELA and Program 5 Specialized ELD consistent with the demands of the framework and explore avenues to broaden the scope of curricula that will serve students with the lowest levels of proficiency.

cc: California Department of Education (CDE), California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE), CATESOL (The California and Nevada affiliate of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages)